News

Athletes Ready for NI and Ulster Age Group and Novice XC Showdown

10 November 2017

The impressive Finn Valley Complex in Stranorlar (County Donegal) will play host to this weekend’s Northern Ireland & Ulster Uneven Age Group and Novice Cross Country Championships (Sunday 12th November 2017).

Hundreds of athletes will be in action on the second day of the Age Group Championships. Two weeks ago, Day 1, which covered the Even Age Groups, brought some excellent competition to Kilbroney Park in Rostrevor. Many of the medal winners from that day will return as the province’s up and coming stars contest podium places; many will have one eye on qualification for the All Ireland XC Championships. The Novice XC Championships also add further excitement to what will be a packed programme of events.

In the battle for Novice XC honours, Derry Track Club’s Conor McIlveen and John McQuade will play a part at the head of the field – Letterkenny AC’s Ciaran McGonigle, who ran well at last week’s Donegal XC Championships, should also feature. Meanwhile, in the ladies race, Edel Monaghan (Enniskillen RC), Amy Hamill (Glaslough Harriers), Elaine Connor (Derry Track Club) and Leoni Mullen (Finn Valley AC), will be amongst those chasing a podium place.

In the Age Category competition, there will be an exciting dual between Under 19 stars Patrick McNiff (Newcastle AC) and Craig McMeechan (North Down AC) – both men have impressed in the senior ranks this year. Sean Corry (Omagh Harriers), Jack O’Farrell (St Colman’s Newry) and Fintan Stewart (City of Derry AC) add further depth to the field. In the ladies race, Enya Haigney (Derry Track Club) and Under 18 silver medallist Grace Carson (Mid Ulster AC) will be chasing silverware.

It is a similar situation in the other age categories, with a plethora of talent set to compete. Under 16 Champion Rebecca Wallace (Lagan Valley AC) will again go head-to-head with club mate Aoife McGreevy, this time in the Under 17 race, while another Lagan Valley AC athlete, Cormac O’Rourke will feature in the Boy’s race – he will line up against St Malachy’s AC duo Conall McClean and Adam Ferris.

Under 16 gold medallist Sean McGinley (Olympian YC) and Under 14 Champion Oisin Kelly (Cranford AC) will both compete in what should be an exciting Under 15 race. Joel Chambers (Loughview AC), Dylan McBride (Willowfield Harriers) and Joseph Haynes (Armagh AC) are also set to start. Hannah Cochrane (City of Lisburn AC), Cara Laverty (City of Derry AC) and Sarah Bradley (Finn Valley AC) will all run in Under 15 Girls race.

Boyd Russell (Olympian YC), winner of the Under 12 Championships in Kilbroney Park, will toe the line in the Under 13 Boy’s race, with Philip McGee (Letterkenny AC), a medallist at the same event, also due to toe the line. East Down AC pair Lauren Madine and Kirsti Foster, and Shercock AC’s Hazel Hughes, will race in the Girl’s event.

In the Under 11 category, Cait O’Reilly (Annalee AC) and Emma Boner (Letterkenny AC) will feature prominently in the Girls race, as will Miah Fletcher (Cranford AC), while recently crowned Under 10 Boy’s Champion Harry Shields of Letterkenny AC will be hoping to complete the Under 10 and Under 11 double in the Boy’s race; Harry will be up against Conor Gallagher (Finn Valley AC) and Luke McCausland (City of Derry AC), amongst others.

Further afield, Rio Olympian Kerry O’Flaherty (Newcastle AC / Richard Rodgers) and training partner Zak Hanna (Newcastle AC / Richard Rodgers) will be in action at the famous Burgos XC in Spain. The local pair will have fellow Ireland international and former European XC Champion Fionnuala McCormack (Kilcoole AC) for company on the start line.

Stephen Scullion (Clonliffe Harriers) will represent his English club Aldershot, Farnham & District AC at the British Athletics Cross Challenge in Milton Keynes (Saturday 11th November 2017)